Mayoral candidates discuss police, community trust

Jim Suttle, Jean Stothert met for mayoral forum

Mayoral candidates incumbent Jim Suttle and Councilwoman Jean Stothert met Wednesday for a forum focused on crime and improving police and community relations.

The mayoral forum at Oak Hills Country Club allowed both candidates to talk about their plans for rebuilding trust between police and the community after the controversial arrest caught on video last month.

“My administration is a no-nonsense administration, and I have a no-nonsense police chief. We will continue with that,” Suttle said.

Suttle said the city needs a police auditor, but Stothert said an auditor can't discipline and investigations are confidential. Instead, she wants a citizen review board.

“True community policing is when the community takes part in developing the policy,” Stothert said.

Stothert said protecting the Second Amendment and preserving the right to own a handgun is high on her list of priorities.

“We need to concentrate on the criminal, not the instrument used in committing the crime,” Stothert said.

Suttle thinks the city should do more to protect its citizens from gunfire. He said he supports tougher gun control laws.

“You and I have a Second Amendment right to bear arms, but our children also have the right to go to school without the fear of being gunned down,” he said.

The two candidates also plan to attract more businesses into the city in different ways. Stothert wants to build a more competitive tax climate by creating what she calls a fair and balanced tax policy. Suttle intends to find new developers for the old Civic Auditorium lot and redevelop Crossroads Mall.

Regardless of the outcome of the mayoral race, Stothert’s City Council District 5 seat will either be occupied by Jeff Moore or Rich Pahls.

“We have to sit down and examine which direction we want this city to go and what we can afford to do,” Pahls said.

“As a business, you have to be fiscally responsible to make sure you can grow and you can develop and you can bring in more business, and it's the same way with the city of Omaha,” said Moore, a business owner.

The general election is May 14. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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